Hello again darlings, Diana here. Today I am talking with Sydney Tanner and Ellie Scott from Return To Me. A deliciously romantic and suspenseful tale. This month must be amnesia month, I knew October was a scary month, but really! If you remember, recently I interviewed Louise and that saucy Stephanie, from Against All Odds, and we talked about Steph losing her memory, and now we have Syd and Ellie in a similar situation.

Diana:Ellie, first off, after all the time that had passed and everyone had given up all hopes of finding Syd alive, you still held fast to your belief that not only would you find her, but that she was alive. I find your unwavering belief just amazing, how did you manage?

Ellie: It was stubbornness on my part, and deep down I knew she was still alive. Syd and I had a strong connection from the day we met and I’d know if that connection were permanently severed.

Diana: Ellie, I know I am getting ahead of myself here, but after that answer, I would like to know your first thoughts/feelings when you saw Syd, and not only did she not recognize you, but she was afraid of you too.

Ellie: I was so relieved to see her that nothing else mattered. Finally, the love of my life was there in front of me and nothing else mattered at that point. Was I taken aback that she didn’t know who I was? Yes, of course I was but the overriding fact that I’d found her made everything else unimportant.

Diana: Thank you for that, Ellie. Now, what made you take the job at Salvation? The job that inadvertently led you to Syd.

Ellie: Good question. Looking back on it now, something about Salvation gave me peace and a sense of belonging. A force that I now know was Syd was calling me to be there. As I said earlier our connection is strong and even without her memory being intact she was calling to me.

Diana: Syd, do you now have all of your memories back?

Syd: Yes, for the most part. There are things that happened when I was being held captive that are still unclear but the important things in my life are all there.

Diana: Syd, when did you realize that your life was in danger, and that you might not get out alive?

Syd: When I woke up on that concrete floor naked and took stock of what was happening to me I knew that was where I’d die. I remember thinking that I’d never see Ellie again and that made me want to find a way out.

Diana: At one point, before they started with the drugs and mind manipulations, you knew one of your captors. What were your thoughts when you recognized one of them?

Syd: At first, I was surprised because it was a co-worker and someone I was friendly with. I can’t deny that I had a sense of hope that they’d save me but I was wrong.

Diana: Ellie, when you finally had Syd back, and nothing you did brought back her memory, how did you feel?

Ellie: To be honest it hurt, a lot. As I got to know Jane and the person she was I could see glimpses of Syd. That helped me admit, at least to myself, that Jane might be my future and I accepted that.

Diana:Syd, what was going through your mind as Ellie took you to different places and brought up things from your past that had no meaning to you? You had to have noticed her disappointment?

Syd: I remember taking a bite of that hamburger and thinking how horrible it tasted. I looked at Ellie’s expectant expression and knew she was disappointed. At that point I really didn’t know her well enough to care, but as time went by it mattered a great deal to me when I saw her face go from hopeful to sad.

Diana: Syd, were you falling in love with Ellie before you got your memory back?

Syd:Yes. Looking back on it, I think I fell in love with her the first time I saw her at Salvation. There was gentleness about her along with her fierce defense of me when that horrible man tried to experiment on me that tugged at my heart.

Diana: Ellie, were you starting to fall in love with Jane, or were you holding out and hoping that Syd would return fully to you?

Ellie:It was weird because so much of Syd was in Jane and I grew to love the combination of the two. I won’t lie and say I never stopped hoping Syd would return, for I did, but Jane drew me in and I was helpless in falling for her.

Diana: What is your life like now for the both of you? What have you learned?

Ellie:I never thought it was possible to love Syd more but my heart burst with the joy and love I have for her. As for what I learned…love conquers all.

Syd: I appreciate each moment of each day that I share with Ellie. I know that our love will survive anything life throws our way. Everything I’ve ever wanted in life is sitting right here next to me. She’s right, love does conquer all.

My, my…what a lovely couple. It was heart wrenching to read the pain that Ellie went through losing Syd, and even more so, learning about the horrible things that Syd had to endure. As they both said, love does conquer all, and these two are proof of that fact. If you haven’t read their story, Return To Me, do so, it is one that will stick with you far after you have reached the last page.

Join me next month when I will be talking with Jeri O’Donnell and Kelly Corcoran from Requiem for Vukovar. These two women and their story is not to be missed!